Leave No Trace

Day 31. July 26.

Was still a little full when I woke up. I could tell it was going to be a warm day.

Most of the day was spacious forest. I ran into several northbound PCT hikers and a group of local woman who had tons of questions about through hiking.

Every time I stopped to get water I was swarmed by mosquitoes. The imperfect solution I had was to use individual wipes that were 30% DEET. They were strong enough to deter mosquitoes, but not so strong they ruined synthetics or caused crippling pain if sweat dripped into my eyes. However, sweat was exactly the factor which caused effectiveness to fade.

The end of the day unfortunately combined a burn area with an uphill climb. It was hot and challenging getting over and around the dead trees. I think the burn was relatively recent as there was no greenery.

I navigate with a phone app called Guthook. To save battery, it uses the phone’s location that works in airplane mode. It lays my location over a detailed map showing the trail, tent sites, water sources, among much else.

Once I reached the top of the hill, the burn area was just about finished. It was late and I needed a tent site. Guthook indicated there were four tent sites nearby that the people who maintain the trail had created. These were innovative sites developed with the "Leave No Trace" (LNT) approach. LNT is supposed to result in backpackers leaving no evidence they were in the woods. In addition to packing out all garbage, LNT practices would leave no sign of a tent.

I searched for 30 minutes, constantly checking Guthook. I could not find any of the four LNT sites. The irony was perfect: you can’t find the LNT sites because there is no trace. So, I finally just settled for a flat spot. I made a mental note for the morning to leave a big trace so other campers could re-use my spot.